Swifts selected as parade grand marshals

The Ritzville Community Parade on Saturday, Sept. 5, is a longstanding tradition of recognizing community spirit and dedication to the town. This year, two individuals who have been actively involved in Ritzville as volunteers, parents, supporters and dedicated workers will lead the parade as the grand marshals.

Diane and Larry Swift have been selected as the 2015 grand marshals for their commitment to the Ritzville community and unwavering loyalty to help whenever needed.

Born and raised in the community, Larry has always called Ritzville his home with the exception of the years he spent traveling throughout Washington and the neighboring states for construction jobs. Diane moved to the community in 1974, and the couple married in July 1988.

The nomination and selection to serve as grand marshals came as a shock to the couple, but they are honored by the designation.

Diane moved to the community with her three children, Christy, Lori and Eric, and quickly became immersed in activities within the community. Larry and Diane both were actively involved with the kids’ extracurricular activities and it helped spur their volunteerism within the community.

The Swifts began volunteering for the Ritzville Festivals Association while the girls were involved with the Young Woman of Ritzville contest, known today as the Distinguished Young Woman (DYW) program.

Through the Festivals Association, the Swifts assisted with decorating the annual float and Larry served as the driver for many years.

Diane served as the co-chair and eventually the chairman for the program, and she also volunteered as a judge. She traveled to neighboring cities to assist and judge the local programs.

During their involvement with the DYW program, the couple also created and ran an at-large program for girls who did not have an opportunity to participate in the program.

They would also take all of the participants in the program to the state program in Pullman each year to watch the local representative compete.

Larry has also volunteered for the Ritzville Rodeo, helped establish the demolition derby in Ritzville in the late 1970s and assisted at the fair helping set up prior to the event. The couple has also volunteered for the Ritzville Gun Club and Blues Fest.

For nearly 19 years, Larry has also been a volunteer firefighter for the Ritzville Fire Department. He recently returned from a three-day volunteer trip to Stevens County to assist with maintaining the Carpenter Road Fire with two other Ritzville firefighters.

After moving to Ritzville, Diane began working as an accountant for the Adams County Public Works department. She worked there for 16 years before opening her massage therapy business in downtown Ritzville in 2004.

Diane said she has been blessed with strong community support since opening her business full-time, especially since massage therapy is her true passion. She enjoys the opportunity to help others by alleviating pain and assisting with the relaxation process.

Through her work, Diane is a member of the Washington State Sports Massage Team. Her work with the organization has allowed her with opportunities to work with the Seattle Seahawks and recently the women’s US Open team.

Diane said her goal before retirement is to work on a massage team at the Olympics, and she is hopeful she will have an opportunity.

Along with her practice in Ritzville, she also operates an office in Spokane.

Larry has worked for the City of Ritzville for 27 years, beginning in the shop and working with the maintenance crew. He has served as the supervisor for the City of Ritzville Public Works department for 20 years.

The Swifts have always been active in the community, but Larry’s volunteerism and dedication to the community was spurred at an early age. When he was 27, Larry was diagnosed with cancer and spent nearly three months in the hospital.

During that time, he received a steady stream of cards, flowers and visitors, and the community support was truly overwhelming and touching. As Diane said, “They paid it forward, now he gives it back.”

While the Swifts stay busy with their daily work, they are also full-time grandparents and spend as much time as possible with their six grandchildren. Whenever they have a free moment, they are off on a trip to visit the grandchildren and spend as much time with them as possible.

Along with spending time with the grandchildren, Larry is also looking forward to retirement within the next four years. Retirement would simply mean more opportunities to work on projects for himself, and the city, and help out where assistance is needed.

The Swifts are appreciative for being selected as the grand marshals, and would like to extend their gratitude to the individual who nominated them to the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce.

They have always received an endless amount of support from the community, and are thankful to be residents of Ritzville.